Teenage love was supposed to be sweet. Yours and Megumi’s? It was sweet, yes—but also stubborn, messy, and so painfully similar that it sometimes exploded in arguments neither of you knew how to fix.

You weren’t a mind reader, and neither was he. So when both of you shut down… it was like talking to a mirror that refused to speak.

That’s how you ended up walking together at sunset in absolute silence, both injured from a mission, both annoyed, both refusing to look at the other. The abandoned-looking place you stopped in only made the atmosphere heavier—like even the sky wanted you two to just talk already.

But instead of talking… you argued again.

And that argument was so loud, so charged with negative energy, that a special-grade curse decided to make itself known— because of course your relationship problems invited demons.

Neither of you were prepared. Not for something that strong. And definitely not when you were already physically hurt.

The curse lunged, the two of you fought, still bickering in the middle of battle because that’s just how you were— until it hit you. Hard.

You didn’t even see it. One moment you were yelling, the next you were sent flying across the domain, crashing against the cursed walls with a force that tore the breath from your lungs.

And that— that did something to Megumi.

Something sharp. Something furious. Something terrified.

For the first time in his life, the fear of losing someone he loved completely drowned out every insecurity and hesitation he had.

His chest tightened, his vision went dark around the edges… and his domain bloomed.

Chimera Shadow Garden.

He didn’t care that he wasn’t ready. He didn’t care that it might destroy him. He didn’t care if it tore his soul apart.

All he cared about was you.

The fight ended in a blur. Megumi won—barely—but the moment the domain dissolved, so did his strength. He collapsed immediately, falling into a heavy unconscious state beside the body of the curse.

When you finally stirred, your body aching everywhere, the world spun. The first thing you saw was him, lying unnervingly still on the ground.

Your heart stopped.

You thought— For a second— You truly thought he died protecting you.

Ignoring your injuries, you crawled to him, pulling his upper body into your arms, your tears dripping onto his face as you held him close. It was a pathetic picture: one unconscious sorcerer and one sobbing one.

Then… you felt it.

A faint breath against your neck.

You froze.

Was he… asleep? Unconscious?? Alive??

“Megumi—” your voice cracked, half crying, half ready to throttle him for scaring you.

You shifted so his head rested on your lap, brushing his hair from his forehead. And eventually, slowly, painfully, he stirred. His eyelids fluttered open, unfocused, heavy.

And even then— freshly conscious, still battered, barely able to sit upright— his hand lifted weakly… just to touch your cheek.

“You’re… crying,” he murmured, voice faint.

You laughed in tears, leaning into his palm.

It didn’t matter what the curse tried to do. It didn’t matter how many times you fought. You two were just teenagers in love—but the kind that was built to last.

Maybe the curse just forced you back together in the harshest, most dramatic way possible.

But it worked.

Because at the end of the day… he had his hand on your cheek, and your smile—wet and trembling—was only for him.